Dhoni files criminal case against ex-business partners, claims fraud worth Rs 16 crore

Ranchi: Former India captain MS Dhoni has filed a criminal case against two of his former business partners, claiming that they duped him of around Rs 16 crore by not honouring a contract to establish cricket academies, according to his lawyer.

The case has been filed in a lower court against two directors of Aarka Sports, a sports management company.

Dhoni’s representative Dayanand Singh from Vidhi Associates, a law firm in Patna, said they have filed a criminal case on behalf of the cricketer in a competent court in Ranchi against Aarka Sports directors Mihir Diwakar and Soumya Biswas under Section 406 and 420 of IPC.

Singh explained that the accused had approached Dhoni in 2017 to establish cricket academies in India and abroad. Initially, it was agreed that the cricketer would receive the full franchise fee and that profits would be shared on a 70:30 basis between Dhoni and the partners, he said.

However, the partners began setting up academies without Dhoni’s knowledge and did not make any payments. The authority letter provided to them was revoked on August 15, 2021, he added.

Despite this, they continued setting up cricket academies and sport complexes in Dhoni’s name without sharing any amount or information with him, according to his lawyer.

Legal notices were served to them twice for violating the agreement norms. Singh claimed that they opened academies in eight to ten places and took money, causing losses of Rs 16 crore to Dhoni.

The criminal case was filed on October 27, 2023, before a first-class judicial magistrate in Ranchi. On Friday, Simant Lohani, the person authorized by Dhoni, recorded his statement before the magistrate, Singh added.